The killer whales in captivity around the world are not just there
to perform tricks for people. They are there for educational reasons.
As
a killer whale trainer, you should always be prepared to share what you know.
You
are a trainer at a sea park. Your job is to meet with a group of schoolchildren
who visit the park daily. Each day, you put the killer whale through a series
of tricks and field questions from the children.
Use the facts about
whales listed below to answer the children's questions.
Facts
Whales
are mammals. Killer whales have teeth and are most closely related to dolphins
and porpoises.
Other names for these giant mammals include: orca, blackfish,
grampus, wolf of the sea, tiger of the sea and tyrant of the sea. Incidentally,
the name orca was given by a scientist who first classified the mammals.
Killer
whales have been seen in all oceans of the world, but are most abundant in
colder waters. The highest concentration is along continental boundaries,
in shallow bays and estuaries.
In North America, the highest concentrations
are near Alaska and British Columbia and well off the East Coast. A handful
of sightings have been made near Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. Because they
are so large, they need massive open, unpolluted areas to live and breed.
Killer
whales apparently evolved from a prehistoric land mammal called the mesonyx.
It looked something like a wolf.
Depending on where they live, killer
whales eat penguins, sea lions or fish. They do not attack humans.
Many
myths among native people explain where killer whales came from. In Alaska,
an Indian called Natsihlane went hunting with his brothers-in-law.
They abandoned him on a distant island.
A seagull came to help him
home. He used his new powers to call up blackfish to get revenge on the family
members who abandoned him. He adorned the blackfish with white dorsal fins.
The
blackfish saved Natsihlane's youngest relative, whom he did not want
harmed. Natsihlane then ordered the new creatures to swim out to sea and never
again harm human beings.